Fourteen years after the first Harry Potter book was published and seven movies later, the final Harry Potter film premiered at midnight on July 15. Fans of all ages stayed up late to see the conclusion of one of the most popular movie series of all time. The film grossed $43.5 million dollars in midnight showing sales alone, the best showing of all time, according to Hollywood Reporter.com.
Yet, it’s not only “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II” that movie fans are staying up late for these days. Midnight premieres and midnight premiere parties are growing in popularity, and building up the movie industry in spite of a still sluggish economy. Utilizing Fandango.com and other pre-sale ticket methods, local theaters were able to sell out show after show, packing theaters like The Rave, Carmike Northgate 14 and the Carmike Majestic 12 to the brim.
Jeremy Devine, vice president of marketing for Rave Motion Pictures, commented before the premiere that he thought “HP 7: Part II” was going to be one of the biggest midnight premiere/box office weekends in history, or at least one of the top five or six. “We think that’s because obviously there’s the huge built-in audience. There is clearly the fact that this one is the last one in the series, and I think what’s also very interesting is that a lot of kids have grown up with Harry Potter, and you used to think of them as 12 year olds, but now the people who are going to midnight premieres are all 20 and 21 years old, so it’s a very social experience for them to see this thing right away,” Devine says.
Across the country, Rave Motion Pictures prepared for the film by first taking part in the Harry Potter specific 3D glasses. At the East Ridge Rave theater, they hosted a special double feature of “HP 7: Part I and Part II.” Because Rave Motion Pic-tures is an all-digital projection facility, they were able to add auditoriums to the sold out shows on opening night. The theater was also able to offer the film in 2D, 3D, and IMAX. Being all digital not only ensures a beautiful picture, but it allows the theater to keep adding auditoriums, Devine says.
Devine says that midnight premieres have become part of something that is very important to consumers, offering a communal experience of going to the movies. “What Rave tries to do is have a technology and presentation advantage over seeing a movie at home, or on a smart phone, or on a computer screen…[by creating] a really big presentation like IMAX or 3D that you can’t possibly have at home,” Devine says. “The beauty of midnight [showings] is that you take all that technology that differentiates it from the home and then you add this really incredible human component, which is the communal experience of seeing the movie as soon as possible with your friends... There is something really fun about knowing that everybody else in that auditorium is a huge Harry Potter fan…That’s the beauty of going to movies in theaters,” he says.
Rachel Sauls attended the midnight premiere of Harry Potter, and says she agrees about the atmosphere of premieres. “It’s a lot of fun to see the new movie in a packed out theater with tons of other fans who are just as excited as I am. People who are there are invested in the series,” she says. “Getting to see the movie first is important, but I think I like the atmosphere the best. It’s great [to] people watch, to see everyone dressed up, and fun to interact with other Potter fans. A lot of people’s childhoods are going to be culminated tonight, and it’s going to be intense.”
With laughs, cheers, and a few tears, Harry Potter fought the good fight against evil Lord Voldemort and triumphed. Being a fan of all things Potter since middle school, I was pleased with the end of the story about my childhood literary friends. The film handles the story arc of Severus Snape and Harry rising up to meet the hero status that has been forced upon him since day one with skill, poignancy, and grace. There was so much action and plot racing by me in those two hours that, more than likely, I will go see the film again in the next few weeks to catch all the layers of detail which have been woven into the film. While midnight premieres are usually not my cup of tea, the preview trailer before the film for the next Dark Knight movie was on hand to assure midnight premiere fans that more late night showings will be there for them.